The Dolphins are 35-35 in four seasons under Mike McDaniel, including 0-2 in playoffs.

Pressure Point: Dolphins should hire GM before deciding on McDaniel

/0 Comments/in , /by

Now that another Miami Dolphins season has been flushed and soon to be forgotten, attention turns to a momentous offseason.

First, the postmortem: A season prefaced by owner Steve Ross as no excuse for failure, ended Sunday as it began with a one-sided defeat on the road, 38-10 to the playoff-bound Patriots.

The final tally was 7-10 — a second consecutive season without a trip to the playoffs and 25 years since their last playoff win.

Where does this woebegone franchise go from here, regarding coach Mike McDaniel and hiring of the next general manager?

An indication could come quickly, depending on what Ross says — or doesn’t say — in the next few days.

Insider reports mostly point to McDaniel returning, an opinion not supported by many long-suffering Dolphins fans. Others suggest it’s a coin flip, which seems about right with this team’s record of decision making.

In my view, the season was an embarrassment and starting fresh with a new general manager and coaching staff is warranted.

Ross has failed Dolphins in leadership hiring

Ross, 85, has repeatedly screwed the pooch in steering the Dolphins since taking over controlling interest from H. Wayne Huizenga in 2009.

His expertise is in real estate and development, and he has excelled in expanding facilities in and around Hard Rock Stadium and bringing marquee events to South Florida. As steward of an NFL team, his instincts have been misplaced and he has steered the Dolphins franchise farther into the weeds that it was when he took over.

On the surface, Ross’ hiring of Hall of Fame quarterback and ESPN broadcaster Troy Aikman as a consultant in the process of hiring a general manager seems encouraging.

Yes, bring in perspective from outside the organization. Aikman is well connected in the NFL.

Seems like a good idea, but Ross has used consultants before, Bill Parcells and Mike Tannenbaum among them. Yet he has never gotten the leadership of the football operation right, in the front office or on the field.

But, sure, utilizing Aikman’s knowledge and relationships inside the league makes sense, might help.

What doesn’t make sense is the backdoor approach of seeking a general manager with a coach already in place. Logically, an experienced executive coming from outside the organization would want to, and likely insist on, choosing the coach. Unless that individual has previously worked with McDaniel and favors keeping him, which is possible.

Dolphins’ next GM should be involved in decision on coach

Ross has followed this dubious course before. In 2014, he hired Dennis Hickey to his first and only GM post to work with coach Joe Philbin and then-executive vice president Dawn Aponte. Two other candidates the Dolphins sought turned down the job, reportedly questioning the team’s power structure, and a third declined a final interview.

How did that work out? Philbin was fired early in 2015 and Hickey was out at the end of that season.

Fast forward a decade, and Ross is again looking for a GM who may have to work with another coach of dubious achievement.

That is to the dismay of Dolphins fans, who look at McDaniel’s record and question where he has taken the team that his failed predecessors this century haven’t.

In four seasons under McDaniel, the Dolphins are 35-35, including first-round playoff losses in the first two and no postseason appearances in the past two.

As for year 4, a run of five wins in six games doesn’t make up for losing six of the first seven, which doomed the season from the start.

Ross fired GM Chris Grier at midseason. Certainly, it was time to part ways with Grier, who succeeded Hickey in 2016 and will be remembered notoriously for selecting Tua Tagovailoa over Justin Herbert with the fifth overall pick in the 2020 draft.

Not to overlook the ridiculous contract Grier awarded (with Ross’ blessing) Tagovailoa, which will severely limit the next general manager’s maneuverability under the salary cap.

Nonetheless, a case could be made that Grier’s work over the past 12 months was more positive than McDaniel’s.

All eight of Grier’s 2025 draft picks are on the roster and contributed to varying degrees as rookies: quarterback Quinn Ewers (a seventh-round pick), defensive tackles Kenneth Grant, Jordan Phillips and Zeek Biggers, guard Jonah Savaiinaea, cornerback Jason Marshall Jr., safety Dante Trader Jr. and running back Ollie Gordon II. The overall quality and future of the group is debatable, though; Savaiinaea has been one of the worst starters at any position in the NFL this season.

Dolphins treading water under McDaniel

Ross extended McDaniel’s contract through 2028 and is reportedly still enamored with the quirky coach.

McDaniel has been hailed as an offensive visionary, particularly during his first two seasons with the Dolphins. The past two, not so much, though the reputation has generally stuck with him.

I think his main strength is with the run game, though he never solved the Dolphins’ woes in short-yardage situations.

He coaxed two strong seasons out of Tagovailoa, whose perplexing decline this season led to his benching with three games to go and has likely ended his tenure with Miami.

However, Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner’s video breakdown of the pass plays in Tagovailoa’s final start in a 28-15 loss to the Steelers are insightful.

Most interesting were Warner’s comments about the design of the pass patterns that receivers ran. On many of the plays the routes weren’t, in his opinion, structured in a way to put stress on the defense and provide Tua with an open receiver to throw to.

Warner explained how those plays could have been designed to achieve that objective.

Warner’s conclusions were more of an indictment of McDaniel’s play design than Tua’s play as quarterback.

Veteran coaches may become available

One argument for retaining McDaniel is to see what he can do with a different quarterback. The three-week experiment with Ewers yielded some positive but was not decisive. A top priority for the new GM will be upgrading that position.

Whoever gets the job should also be involved in the decision on the head coach.

There’s no reason to make a quick jump to that conclusion. Especially before seeing who may become available. The list of available coaches could be lengthy and includes some intriguing names.

On Sunday, NFL insider Adam Schefter identified three prominent coaches who might get the ax: Raiders’ Pete Carroll, longtime Ravens coach John Harbaugh and the Browns’ Kevin Stefanski.

The next Dolphins general manager should have a voice in determining whether McDaniel should also be on that list.

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for more than four decades. Follow him on the site formerly known as Twitter @CraigDavisRuns.

 

 

 

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat win ugly in Detroit, extending their win streak to four in a row

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Heat started the new year strong, claiming their fourth in a row in one of their top wins against the soaring Pistons in Detroit.  It was their second meeting of the season, and of course, it was decided in crunch time.  

 

It was only Detroit’s third home loss.  Coach Erik Spoelstra said, “I think this was an important one for us to get…Detroit’s a good defensive team. You’re not just going to always be able to get what you want to, particularly in the half-court. 

 

The 3-pointers and drive-by layups were falling like raindrops early for the Heat, and they went on a 14-0 run late in the first quarter. 

 

Then the Pistons raised their intensity, walling off the lane to suppress the inside action. It didn’t help that the Heat were missing open treys, but Norman Powell rescued them with a quick burst of three deep jumpers and a floater through the lane, giving them a 63-54 lead going into halftime.

 

Cade Cunningham maneuvered his way to the line a few times, and the Pistons closed the quarter on an 11-5 run, but their offense was too limited, countering the Heat’s stream of triples. Jalen Duren also sprained his right ankle on a move into the lane and didn’t return. His absence left their defense unfastened, and the Heat maintained separation, making seven shots in the lane and pouring in four extra 3-pointers, including two from Powell. 

 

Subsequently, Paul Reed emerged as a threat for Detroit, and Marcus Sasser got loose. Cunningham caught the Heat’s schemes, but they were slow to rotate on multiple occasions, and their lead was sliced to two with 46.4 seconds left.  

 

Yet the Heat were bailed out by Jaquez, hitting a turnaround baseline jumper, and Mitchell stealing the inbound. 

 

They won 118-112.

 

Takeaways:

 

  • Powell didn’t make any fourth-quarter field goals, but he was their only starter to shoot at least 50%. (52.2). It was also his second-highest scoring game in a Heat uniform (36), and a good chunk of his points were on off-script plays. He made half the team’s 3-pointers (7), too.

 

  • The Heat’s strategy to double Cunningham in the fourth quarter was dangerous and they should have played tighter without helping. Nonetheless, serious teams find ways to get it done when their actions are neutralized. The Heat were ordinary in the half-court, but scored 26 fastbreak points, and benefited from Detroit’s 20 giveaways.  

 

  • Jaime Jaquez Jr.’s ability to get his shot off when he wants, going at the rim, and his playmaking for others are a pivotal part of the Heat’s success. He comes in off the bench, keeping the offensive RPMs elevated. He finished with 19 points on 69.2% shooting, with three rebounds and five assists. 

 

  • Miami’s double-big lineup gives the back line some teeth and allows fewer mismatches. They weren’t a big factor in the scoring department, but they combined for 27 rebounds and were a big part of why the Pistons only had six offensive boards. 

 



Nico Cantor: How a Miami Native became a top voice in American Soccer

/1 Comment/in , /by

The apple doesn’t always fall far from the tree, and that’s proven to be the case with Nico Cantor.

 

Born and raised in Miami, Nico is the son of a Honduran mother – Liliana Williams – and an Argentine father – Andrés Cantor. Andrés has emerged as one of the most iconic announcers in soccer history with his famed lines like ‘”El árbitro dice que no hay tiempo para más” and ‘”¡Goooooooooool!”, winning six Emmy Awards, covering multiple World Cups, Olympics and other tournaments, and featuring in TV shows like The Simpsons and Phineas & Ferb as well as movies like Muppets Most Wanted and Speed Racer. Similarly to the likes of Kevin Egan and Rod Underwood, Nico was obsessed with the beautiful game from the very start. Nico played soccer and volleyball in high school, leading Ransom Everglades to a district championship as a freshman, earning the captain’s armband in his junior year, and gaining All-County honors as a senior. He then headed north and enrolled in New York University, where he graduated with degrees in Broadcast Journalism and Romance Languages.

 

“If people ask me ‘What would you be doing if you weren’t working in broadcasting, I think it would be something linguistics-related, like teaching or studying linguistics…that’s the other thing that, beyond the sports world, I feel really passionate for,” stated Cantor in an exclusive Five Reasons Sports interview. 

 

Cantor started working for his father’s Fútbol de Primera radio station before deciding to join his father’s rival network – Univision Deportes (now TUDN) – where he worked as a studio analyst and U.S. Men’s National Team reporter, in addition to providing English and Spanish commentary for Univision’s coverage of Major League Soccer and Liga MX, polishing his skills on the assignment desk and the station’s flagship program ‘República Deportiva,’ and its live whip-around soccer program ‘Zona Fútbol.’ Eventually, these impressive skills caught the attention of CBS Sports, who had recently taken over the English-language UEFA Champions League broadcasting rights, replacing Turner Sports ahead of schedule. Rather than continuing his career progression at a Spanish-language network, Cantor elected to make the permanent move to English and join CBS in October 2020.

 

“It was a little bit strange, because CBS picked up Champions League rights when Turner relinquished them with everyone going into lockdown and all sports stopping. That was in August 2020, and the Champions League didn’t pick up again until October. In between that time, the CBS executive Peter Radovich, Jr. had gotten in contact with my agent and offered me a job.”

 

By accepting this new position and starting his professional journey with CBS, Cantor took on a new role, and a new travel itinerary. Just as Danny Higginbotham was going from England to the United States, Cantor started to make the inverse move, traveling back and forth between London and Miami in order to cover the biggest tournament in club soccer. He spent three years jetting back and forth between Miami and London before eventually moving to Connecticut in 2023 after the launch of the CBS Sports Golazo Network, the first U.S.-based digital network with 24-hour, direct-to-consumer soccer coverage, which is available on CBSSports.com, the CBS Sports app, and on Paramount+. After a year in Connecticut, Cantor decided to move to Queens with his wife, where he has remained ever since.

 

Whilst he works as a reporter for CBS Sports’ Concacaf and UEFA Champions League coverage and as an analyst for CBS Sports Golazo Network’s flagship morning show Morning Footy, Cantor’s main gig has come as the host of CBS Sports’ live whip-around program, “The Golazo Show.” This is the soccer version of NFL RedZone, but as opposed to Scott Hanson, Cantor is constantly keeping viewers plugged in with important details from Galatasaray’s impressive recent away form to how Thomas Grønnemark revolutionized Liverpool’s set-piece strategy. More than anything, though, he’s serving as a role model for millions of Latino-American kids who, for the first time, are finding someone who looks like them and talks like them on the TV screen.

 

“I don’t know if I’m doing a good job or not, but I definitely want to help that demographic group feel represented because I’m part of them. I would watch American soccer broadcasts growing up, and I wouldn’t see a lot of people that sounded like me. I thought that to be on English language TV in the United States, you had to have no accent and the most American broadcaster voice possible, and I’m the furthest thing from that.People think I’m not from the United States with the accent that I have, and I try to explain that it’s a Miami thing, it’s a very Latinized English that throws people off at first. There are some Miamians that speak  pristine English, and then there’s a lot of Miamians that have this sort of tonality to their vowels that make them sound like they’re not from the United States, but I will argue it is one of the most American accents. When people ask me, ‘Where are you from?’ before the United States, before Argentina, and before Honduras, I’ll say Miami, because that’s where I’m from. Ironically, I think it’s kind of advantageous that I do have an accent. Regardless, I didn’t hear people with accent that sometimes struggle to find the right word either in English or in Spanish. I was schooled in English, so although it sounds like Spanish is my first language, there are times that I’m speaking Spanish, and I forget what the word is, and I know it in English, and I can’t think of it, and I’m like ‘God help me try to figure out this word in Spanish, and it doesn’t happen’ and vice versa.”

 

“I know a lot of people in the United States feel represented by that, that maybe speak in Spanish to their parents and English to their siblings, which was the case in my household. Especially in the United States, where I bet everybody that is Latino has had this multicultural Latino, Pan-American experience where they have friends from so many Latin American countries, and there are rivalries whenever their national teams play in World Cup qualifiers or in major tournaments like Copa América. That was so much fun growing up, and as a Latino in the United States, having had those experiences, I feel like you have to speak for everyone. I’m not just representing Argentinians or Hondurans, because my dad’s Argentine, and my mom’s Honduran, I want to represent Colombia, I want to represent Costa Rica, I want to represent Mexico, I want to represent every single country, because I know somebody in this country that has had that experience, and I want to be faithful to that representation on air.”

 

Why Greg Dulcich Should Return as Miami’s Tight End Next Season

/1 Comment/in , /by

The Miami Dolphins tight end position has never been a great one. In their history it’s been highlighted by guys like Keith Jackson, Anthony Fasano, Randy McMichael, Jim Mandich and others.

Recently, it was Mike Gesicki, Jonnu Smith, and now Greg Dulcich.

Dulcich was signed in the middle of the season when Darren Waller went down with a hip injury and has made the most of his opportunity.

Dating back to his first game with valuable snaps, Dulcich has played 8 games hauling in 23 catches for 304 yards and a touchdown. Dulcich has made plays in the play action game in the flats and up the seam, constantly throws good blocks, and is as sure handed as they come.

Dulcich is on the more athletic side of tight ends as well, showcasing great elusiveness and speed in the open field.

So, as we had into the 2026 off season, the Dolphins should highly consider bringing Dulcich back.

Young, Cheap Tight End

Heading into next season Dulcich will be 26 years old and the Miami Dolphins are at a crossroads where they need to develop young, high-end talent. With Dulcich they have walked right into it. Rather than drafting a tight end they found Dulcich on waivers and signed him with the hopes of stabilizing their tight end room, instead they may have found its future. Dulcich’s contract likely wouldn’t exceed more than $5 million (AAV), making it a no brainer for the Dolphins.

If Ewers is The Guy, Continuity is Key

Mike McDaniel talked about it after the victory over the Buccaneers.

(What has made the QB Quinn Ewers to TE Greg Dulcich connection so deadly over the past couple of weeks?) – “Ironically, Quinn (Ewers) would be the authority on throwing to Greg (Dulcich) seeing how they started on scout team together this season. I think Greg was the scout team player of the week maybe Week 2 or 3, I can’t remember. That’s one thing, consistency and realistically, he has kind of an idea of how Greg is going to react to certain looks based on that rapport to a degree. It’s just a credit to leaning into that trust or recognizing that Quinn can trust Greg. Greg keeps coming through for him in situations and proving him right. I think that it doesn’t hurt that they had those added reps, even if it was on carded defenses, those count too. It’s also just two guys taking advantage of an opportunity that keeps giving us reason to give them more opportunities.”

While Mike McDaniel’s future may be up in the air, Dulcich’s can’t be. Not only is he forming a connection with Miami’s potential 2026 starter, but he has showed up big week in and week out for Tua and Ewers.

Look Around the League, Tight End’s Galore

The NFL’s best teams –and offenses– sport a good tight end. Buffalo and Dalton Kincaid, the Chiefs with Kelce, Philadelphia with Goedert, San Fran with Kittle, and many other teams, but also teams are drafting tight ends in the 1st round as their importance has become so essential. The tight ends that can block like a lineman but also make plays in the passing game are so essential to the modern offense’s success. Tyler Warren, Brock Bowers, and Colston Loveland are just a few of the guys to go in the first round an make an immediate impact.

If Miami can salvage Dulcich’s value without using a draft pick and make him a top tight end for years to come like they did with Jonnu Smith, they have to take advantage of it.

Dulcich fits the mold of a modern tight end and fits the mold for the Dolphins future.

Resigning Dulcich is just one of the many steps in getting Miami back on track.

Prediction- Resigned 3 years $10-12 Million

Join Five Reasons Sports on @PrizePicks For a FREE $50 in lineups after placing a $5 lineup.

Link: prizepicks.onelink.me/ivHR/FIVE

Use Code FIVE

For More Miami Dolphins Coverage follow me on Twitter @AustinDobbins13

Cover Image Via Miami Dolphins Twitter/X

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Miami ends losing streak against Nuggets as Jokić gets hurt, and eight Heatles score in double figures

/0 Comments/in , /by

Nikola Jokić couldn’t play the second half because he was a victim of friendly fire, and the Heat’s assortment of bodies outlasted their vulnerable guests, completing their season series at a split (1-1). Miami’s victory also ended an 11-game losing streak to the Mile High killers that stretched back to the Orlando bubble in 2020.

 

The Nuggets had nine giveaways through the first 16 minutes, plus defended and hit the glass like they had the South Beach flu. Yet four of them scored between 10 and 21 first-half points, erasing a 15-digit deficit to go into halftime deadlocked at 63. Then Jamal Murray, Spencer Jones and Jonas Valančiūnas carried them as long as they could, but the Heat outscored them by 23 the rest of the way.

 

Bam Adebayo’s return from back spasms was one of Miami’s big-time reinforcements. He only played eight minutes against Denver on Nov. 5 because of a toe injury, and this time, communication was up to par, so passing and driving lanes were disrupted. It still wasn’t enough to contain Jokić’s 13-point second quarter, as he swerved through schemes for shots through the square and downed two jumpers.

 

The Heat’s edge subsequently swelled to 27 as Denver could never shape up mentally. Powell, Nikola Jović, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware and Andrew Wiggins each logged at least four baskets in the second half. The Nuggets even desperately went to a zone, trying to stop the bleeding, and later surrendered midway through the fourth, emptying the bench.

Takeaways:

 

  • The Nuggets went too long treating the game like a meaningless one in December, and the Heat’s intensity on the glass, particularly recovering 10 offensive rebounds in the first half, helped them take 11 extra shots by intermission.  The Heat also got back to pushing the pace, scoring in the 83d percentile in points per 100 transition plays.

 

  • The Heat’s 3-point party (10) in the third pushed them to an 11-point lead going into the fourth, after only six treys in the first half. It continued in the fourth, and they finished with 22, falling three short of setting a franchise record.

 

  • This was the first time in a while that Adebayo has looked like an All-Star. He can be a fluid offensive player when he commits to attacking the lane. He played 21 minutes, totaling 13 points on 50% shooting, with 10 boards and four assists. Seven other Heatles also scored in double figures.

 

  • Jović had some extra vigor for this game, perhaps because Jokić is a teammate on the national Serbian squad. He was strong attacking the basket and tied his career high of five 3-point makes.

 

  • The Heat are 7-0 this season when scoring at least 140 points (147-123).

 

  • Spoelstra was encouraged by the double big lineup, featuring Adebayo and Ware and said there will be possessions that the combo is not aesthically pleasing. They combined for eight offensive rebounds, despite the second half turning into a tuneup.

 

  • The Nuggets’ halftime announcement was that Jokić was questionable to return with a left knee injury after it hyperextended. Jones trampling his foot caused the leg to buckle. Valančiūnas started the second half in his place.

 

Quinn Ewers is the first Dolphins rookie quarterback to throw two first-half touchdown passes since Dan Marino.

Pressure Point: QB Ewers impresses, but Dolphins’ 2026 plans shrouded in mystery

/0 Comments/in , /by

Quinn Ewers, take 2: Much improved.

The rookie quarterback gave an eye-opening performance in his second start for the Miami Dolphins, throwing for two touchdowns Sunday in a 20-17 win against a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team vying for the playoffs.

Ewers became the first Dolphins rookie quarterback to throw two first-half TD passes since — ta da — Dan Marino.

That is not to say that Ewers in the next Marino, though he has already shown more than some of the other 26 quarterbacks who have started for Miami since Marino retired.

It is also too soon to anoint the rookie from Texas the definitive answer to what the Dolphins have been seeking for a quarter century.

Though the self-confidence Ewers projected suggests he already believes he’s the new man for Miami.

The seventh-round draft pick was more poised and comfortable in the pocket in his second NFL start than Tua Tagovailoa showed all season.

But here’s the thing, no matter how well he plays, it is impossible to project these garbage-time games into relevance for next season. Because we don’t know who is going to be making the decisions about next year’s team.

Dolphins’ leadership plans remain unknown

Who’s the general manager? Who’s the coach?

More important, what is owner Steve Ross thinking? Does he have a clue?

The root of the Dolphins problem for years has been the owner. Ross has been great with infrastructure and bringing marquee events to Hard Rock Stadium. But as far as not only running but elevating the team he owns, his stewardship of the franchise has been an abysmal failure.

The rumor mill has Ross leaning toward retaining Mike McDaniel as coach. The effort the team showed against Tampa Bay may have cemented that, at least for Ross.

In that case, interim GM Champ Kelly probably stays in that role. It would be tough to lure a premier general manager if he arrives tethered to this coach.

The irony is that fired general manager Chris Grier’s final draft class has been mostly solid, with several standout contributors to Sunday’s win. In addition to Ewers’ performance, Jason Marshall Jr. had an interception, Zeek Biggers blocked a field goal, and defensive linemen Jordan Phillips and Kenneth Grant combined for five tackles.

Several Dolphins making case to return in 2026

In addition, Ewers’ touchdown passes went to Theo Wease Jr., an undrafted rookie wide receiver, and tight end Greg Dulcich, who was signed to the practice squad in late August. Safety Ashtyn Davis, an offseason free-agent signee, had an interception.

While Ewers has already settled in as the leader of the offense, the future of the position shouldn’t be considered settled.

The mission must be to find the best quarterback they can, to continue to seek the answer that Tagovailoa never fulfilled.

Considering how much they owe Tagovailoa next season, having Ewers as starter earning $1.005 million makes sense for 2026 while looking ahead to the 2027 draft, which is regarded as deeper for quarterbacks than the upcoming draft.

Ewers finished 14 of 22 for 172 yards with a passer rating of 118.0 and, notably, no interceptions or turnovers.

He appeared much more at ease in his second start with another week of practice with the first team.

Ewers made a nice read on a Bucs defensive set that left Wease running free for a 63-yard touchdown strike along the left sideline.

He threaded a third-down pass to Dulcich in the end zone for his second touchdown. Dulcich has emerged as Ewers’ favorite target, with five catches for 58 yards.

He also scrambled for a first down while the Dolphins were running out the clock.

Ewers making his case to start in 2026

But he was a late-round selection for a reason.

So far his accuracy on deep passes has been lacking, a reflection of a sidearm motion that is better suited for chucking hand grenades than delivering spot-on strikes down field. He is much better on mid-range passes. On check-downs, he’s quick and decisive in distributing the ball.

There is plenty to like about Quinn Ewers’ game after his two start to warrant further evaluation.

Yes, he’s shown he’s an asset with potential. He could turn out to be a solid backup in the NFL. Maybe he’s a stopgap starter for the Dolphins in 2026. Or he just might be here to stay for the long run.
For the moment, at least, he has rendered Tagovailoa to the role of high-priced cheerleader.

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for more than four decades. Follow him on the site formerly known as Twitter @CraigDavisRuns.

 

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The short-staffed Heat were too much for the struggling Pacers

/0 Comments/in /by

What’s left of the Pacers stopped by Kaseya Center on the second night of a back-to-back for both squads, and the Heat overpowered them in the fourth quarter after surviving their offensive waves of desperation. Pascal Siakam was gutting everyone in front of him, but he slowed down when the schemes got tighter, and the home crew had a different body at every turn, raining baskets. 

 

It was their highest-scoring game in the lane this year (78) because the Pacers gave as much resistance as a silk vest against 12-gauge slugs. Somehow, the Heat, after winning only four of 12 nights in December, are only a game out of the fourth seed.

 

It’s not exactly a tune-up because Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro were out, but the Heat’s far more talented rotation puts the victory slightly a notch above. Still, those are the outings that build the crew’s confidence, and Nikola Jović badly needed it. 

 

He and Pelle Larsson dissected coverages for a combined 14 dimes against two giveaways. Andrew Wiggins and Jaime Jaquez Jr. lived in the lane, on cuts and drive-bys. Plus Kel’el Ware had another strong game starting, and was the icebreaker this time, making inside and outside shots. With his strong play, the team will be fine as Adebayo recovers from back soreness.  

 

They got back to gliding in transition while completing the strenuous task of negating Indiana’s attack. Seventeen offensive rebounds also led to the Heat taking 14 extra shots. Their best defensive work came in the fourth quarter, holding them to 22 points on 37.5% shooting.

 

Jaquez attributed the team getting back to the principles applied since training camp, which they got away from when losing eight of nine games.

 

Their record in back-to-backs is 6-4. They also improved to 6-0 in games scoring at least 140 points (142-116).

 

 It’s no surprise that they are as sharp as a spear when they take quick shots while the ball is flowing. Their issue is not being consistent enough to break from the mid-level to the upper tier. Perhaps they can if they get more of the assertive Wiggins, who had 28 points on 75% shooting. He won’t always put up those numbers, but coach Erik Spoelstra believes they are a better outfit with him in attack mode.

 

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat get back over .500 on tour in Atlanta on big nights from Larsson, Wiggins and Powell

/2 Comments/in , /by

Both teams had to snap out of their funk at some point, going into the game on a combined seven straight losses, and the Heat beat the Hawks to the punch in Atlanta. They avoided falling below .500 thanks to six players scoring in double figures, and Pelle Larsson’s top-grade marksmanship and versatility eclipsed all. 

 

He nailed three trifectas and six shots in the lane, and he was one of the main forces that kept the Heat from stalling as the first quarter ended in a stalemate (32). Coach Erik Spoelstra sang his praises postgame, too, calling his work the glue. 

 

They also got back to playing in the fast lane, scoring 22 points in the open court.

 

Norman Powell was next in contributions, logging 25 points on 56.3 accuracy, with five offerings and seven boards.

 

Props to Jaime Jaquez Jr. for playing as he did before opponents started scheming him out by putting mobile bigs on him. 

 

Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo were absent, but the defense, playmaking, and rebounding were back to what they were when the team was hot to start the year. They tied their fifth-highest output in the paint this season (66), and the most eyebrow-raising stat was that eight of them racked up 14 steals to offset their weak 3-point shooting. 

 

Atlanta’s two main threats, Jalen Johnson and Trae Young, got what they wanted at short and long range, but the Hawks registered 19 fewer shots.

 

It couldn’t have been done without Kel’el Ware stepping up. His vertical spacing from the dunker spot was out of reach for Atlanta, and cutting in for tip-ins with a pair of threes produced 16 digits on 70% shooting. 

 

Their record is now 10-5 when scoring at least 120 points (126-111), and it was the second time this year that they had three players make at least nine shots (Larsson, Andrew Wiggins, and Powell).

 

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Raptors sullied Pat Riley Court, humbling the Heat

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Heat were dinosaur meat, embarrassing themselves in one of the worst showings of the season at home to the Toronto Raptors. The first omen that it would be a colossal meltdown was when they started making one of 12 attempts, but the outcome was clear when they fell behind double-digits in the third quarter and the team had as much animation as a corpse. 

 

The Raptors controlled the pace by making the Heat check the ball in often and getting back quickly. They also wrecked their half-court offense and permitted them only eight trifectas in 30 attempts. 

 

Guarding Scottie Barnes was their biggest problem. He accessed the lane at will, scoring nine of his 10 baskets there. After him, it was Sandro Mamukelashvili’s four 3-pointers that broke their spine. 

 

It was also the second time this season the hosts scored below 100 points, and neither starter made 50% of their shots. They had eight of the team’s 17 turnovers.  

 

They’ve lost eight of their last 10, and there seems to be no antidote as the team has fallen to .500 (15-15). Norman Powell said postgame that players have not run some of coach Erik Spoelstra’s play calls during the losing streak (3). He said that they are a young team that has to focus on the details, but it’s on the veterans- him, Andrew Wiggins and Bam Adebayo- to fix it.

 

Bam Adebayo turned into Dennis Rodman on offense, playing with little confidence.  Kel’el Ware failed to follow up on last game’s bright spots, and he only played 21 minutes. Their best player was Jaime Jaquez Jr. off the bench with 21 points on 0n 56.3% shooting. 

 

The result had Spoelstra stunned:“I don’t know. This is not what I would’ve predicted. I thought we were ready.”

 

But they were lifeless, and it came after he challenged them to have a higher level of effort when they lost to the Knicks on Sunday. 

 

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Coach Steve Kerr should make an adjustment after Draymond Green quit on the Warriors in Monday’s win over the Magic

/0 Comments/in , /by

Coach Steve Kerr erroneously said the team needed Draymond Green after he quit on them in the win over the Orlando Magic. A tense chat between them started it, and while the once-upon-a-time two-way star was out of the picture, the team outscored their visitors 54-26 the rest of the way. 

 

Green said at the post-game press conference that his exchange with Kerr was getting too hot, so he thought it best to “remove” himself. While that strategy is sound for a multitude of situations, it is not when you are in the trenches with the team. He didn’t think it could get better, but it would have if he just sat there, swallowing his pride.

 

Also, when he was asked how frustrated he was with his play- a watered-down eight points, six rebounds, and five assists for the season- he cited his one turnover on Monday as evidence for playing well.

 

Consider how they were prosperous against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday, with him only playing eight minutes due to an ejection. It would only be natural for the background players in line to hope he keeps surrendering minutes, so they get the opportunity for a larger payday. 

 

Maybe someone could get away with that behavior if they were a star, but not a role player—much less, one who is age 35 and past his prime. Don’t forget it was Green who said in November that it didn’t feel like everyone was committed to winning, and it was him who showed a commitment to himself on Monday. 

 

After all the years of catching back talk and defending him for actions that hurt the team, it’s a wonder how Kerr hasn’t gotten sick of him to the point of telling an executive to trade him. Green and Stephen Curry are tight, so it would have affected the latter somehow, but he would probably get over it if they got a player back who was more of a threat.

 

Kerr is the one who is largely responsible for how Green has been enabled to stink up the joint and act like a savant because he’s been so soft on accountability. This time, he should have Green come off the bench for his impudence. It would give Jimmy Butler added chances to make plays in the starting unit, and he puts exponentially more pressure on a defense. 

 

Green’s list of priors is too extensive to highlight every detail, but he became more trouble than he was worth, one could argue, six years ago, starting with his alienation of Kevin Durant by calling him a “bitch” publicly. His worst offense was in 2022, when he heartlessly cold-cocked Jordan Poole, ruining the harmonious environment of the defending champions. 

 

For years he has been their “emotional leader,” but the messaging counts for less when one can’t be counted on. He might never accept he isn’t what he used to be, but Kerr has to.